City under the sky
by rizzlescastleeverywhere
Summary: Neon, trip-drugs, a city that never sleep. A man that can only see her from a stool in a bar because they are from different worlds. But what if they want the same thing? Set in a cyberpunk world.
1. Chapter 1

So, I had this idea yesterday while listening to a cyberpunk/noir mix on 8tracks *you can hear it here - /physionomiste/to-be-alone-after-midnight*. It's a silly one but I couldn't get off my head so I decided to write. Sorry for any english mistake. Not my native language. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Thank God Castle is not mine. It would be a horrible show xD

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For the 10th time he was relieved that the bartender of the Zion bar was a robot. He wouldn't be questioned why he showed up every night and sat at the same stool. He wouldn't be embarrassed telling that he is waiting for someone. But not to talk. Just to see.

Because he would never get close to her. He was a writer. But not any writer, no, he was a wanted writer. He was famous in the underground because his mystery novels were fiction but had the hidden truth about the corps and the dirty cops that ruled Neo City. So Richard Castle had to hide from the police if he wanted to stay alive and not be framed as a 'Enemy of the good people of Neo City'.

And she…..she was gorgeous. Every time she showed up in the bar with her red trench coat, calling the attention of every men and women. With beautiful eyes, hair….everything…But, and here was the catch, she was a cop. She worked for the corps to maintain the city how it should be, nice for the rich and a hell for the poor.

He would give everything if he could just be with her. Castle knew her name was Kate Beckett because one of her colleagues shouted one night. He didn't know what would happen if she discovered he was a wanted author so it was better to not risk it. So he would dream. Do trips because of her. He was friend with one of the best trip-drug dealers of the city so he could imagine a world where they were friends, partners in crime, lovers…a world where everything was right…

"So….every time I am here you are here…." An amused voice startled Castle and he was scared as soon as he laid his eyes on her. Oh she was talking….with him…

"I just…I like this bar…" well…stuttering wouldn't help him.

"Just joking. And if you were stalking me…I know how to protect myself" the smile was the most beautiful he saw in his life….it would be a perfect one if that little infinite symbol tattooed on her right cheek wasn't there. The symbol that stated she was a cop.

"Good to know you can defend yourself. This city is not safe…I mean.."

"So you are saying that I don't protect the city Mr….." damn he was digging himself in a big hole of embarrassment.

"No…It's not what I meant…I…see…" shut up shut up.

"Well….in a way it's true" her mischievous smile was going to kill him

"Wh…what?"

"I get murders, so unfortunately, someone had to die to me step in. And you still didn't say your name Mr…"

"Ah…Rodgers, Alexander Rodgers" of course he was giving the official and registered name.

"Oh…I know you! You write for the 'Technofuture journal'!" She finally sat on the stool on her left and curiosity was leaking from her eyes. Of course she would read a journal that said good things about this crap city and the corrupt cops and praise the great corporations.

"Yeah….that's me….." oh if she knew it was all lies.

An awkward silence suddenly showed up uninvited and they both stared at their empty glasses. Oh how he wanted to ignorant…how he wanted to be rich, have a nice pod, a nice house in the sky, forget that everything was dirty and broken…then he could at least be honest with her, talk, laugh and be her friend…

"Do you believe?"

"Holy..!" Castle startled seeing her so close to his face. What she was talking about? "be-believe in what?" she kept staring, looking for something, and satisfied with what she found, decided to continue the talk.

"In everything you write. Do you believe all of this is perfect?" The whisper in his ears showing him that he could talk freely because she didn't want to be overheard too.

"I believe in the old politics…the one in the books of when the earth was beautiful and full of trees. Of course there was corruption but at least we could vote you know…." He was screaming internally. Why was he questioning the government to a cop? He was screwing this up so much and he was sure the jail would be his home this night.

"hmmmmm….very brave from you to talk about this to me…but this means what? That you write what the corps want you to write?" well…by the tone of her voice, she wasn't judging him…hope she can let him walk away.

"I need to feed myself miss I-still-don't-know-your-name" ha! Of course he knew…

"Katherine Beckett. So….if you write all this to feed yourself, I imagine that you write things that doesn't give you any credit right?" damn her and her beautiful smile. He would tell her everything if she just asked.

"I….I don't do anything wrong Miss Beckett….I just write…" He needed to get out of here. It was time to back away and leave while she would let him. No more seeing the gorgeous woman with the red trench coat. Only drug-trips and a dream.

She stood up, paid the drink showing her wrist to the robot read and debit the credits, held the purse that was in her left shoulder (he didn't even saw that she had a purse this night), got even more close to him, the heat of her body warming his veins…and with a whisper almost inaudible his life changed.

"The world changes you know? And there are people inside places that want that change too…." He froze when she kissed his cheek and backed to finish her talk in his ear "good night Mr. Castle…"

Oh damn. He tried to seem confused with the name but her face showed that he was failing. How did she know? Why wasn't he being arrested? He then looked to her purse and there…from an open stash he could see his book. She was a cop but she wanted see the city change. And she knew him…and…he couldn't breathe.

"I will be here next Friday. Come and we will talk about changing this world…" one more kiss in his cheek and she left, floating with the red trench coach, getting the attention of men and women, leaving a simple man behind with ideas in his mind. A cop that wanted to fight and change everything. His next novel would be a blast. And he could see…blurred and still dangerous….but he could see a future where he could be her friend, her partner in crime and who knows….


	2. Chapter 2

Here is the 2nd chapter! As I said before, sorry for any mistake. If you find something that murder the English language, send me a cute PM and I will fix it.

Hope you guys like it!

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Neo City was one of the few places that still had people living in the ground. With the evolution of technology and the desire to feel like gods, men build up monstrous skyscrapers that would go through the clouds. A lot of cities used the ground to throw their trash on; in Neo City, trash lived there. Wanted people, like Richard Castle, whores, dealers, trip-drug addicts, hackers, prosthetic sellers, bastards, fallen politicians.

Castle knew a lot of these people. Of course they didn't know they were talking with Castle, the wanted author. They were talking with Alexander Rodgers, the guy who loved the system. It was hard to get favors being hated but he had to get some credit to live. And he still didn't know if the detective could be trusted. One thing was to admire her from afar, falling in love little by little, but to talk with her? She was a cop. She knew who he was. And she could arrest him.

It was Friday night. The Zion bar was near the sector 1 elevator, the only elevator that could take people to the sky. So pretentious that they named their region as 'Sky'. But the rich loved to be here, in the underground, in this little square full of cops. They could do their illegal business, get their goodies and trip to inside their mind where their lovers were different from their wives. It was the line between high and low.

So it was busy with people. Castle stumbled in the sidewalk trying to avoid a wave of people. He was assuming that their meeting would be at the same time she talked to him. And he was right. She was there, always in her red trench coach, waiting in front of the bar. Weird. Something was… off. She was looking... different.

And then, when she turned to him and opened a smile… it was there. The perfect smile. The tattoo in her right cheek was gone and she looked like a goddess.

"How… what… w-"

"I thought you were good with words, Mr. Rodgers. But not here. I think you should show me your house. And then we can talk." Her face was directed to him, but her eyes looked everywhere, suspicious, vigilante.

"Wait…" really? "You want….", he laughed, "you want me to take you to my home? You are crazy. You know I can't do that and you know why." He then looked serious. How could she suggest this? Only if she wanted to arrest him. To know where he lived and get all his books.

"You know that if I wanted you would be already in jail, right, Mr. Rodgers?"

"Yes, but I still had a little trust in you because you let me go away. But wanting to go to my home? Where all my things are? Things that are evidence?" He took a step back ready to run if needed. But the detective held both his arms and launched forward faking a stumble right when a group of people passed through. And then her lips were whispering in his left ear, strong and angelic.

"I let the tracking device in my home, Mr. Castle. Tomorrow is my day off and I usually like to sleep early to enjoy the day. Nothing that could get their attention. If you want we can go into an alley and I will show you." She pushed him away and started walking away.

He started to follow. He spend weeks observing her from his stool inside Zion bar. He fell in love with her beauty and laugh. He wanted to know her. It was his dream coming true, right? The only risk being that she was a cop and he could end in jail. Oh well… leap of faith time.

In the next alley, she turned to him, opening the device hidden under her left forearm skin. Empty. No tracking device.

"Who are you? I know you are a detective, Ms. Beckett, but…"

"If we get to your home I will explain everything, Mr. Castle. Trust me… please?" Castle was starting to think this was some kind of faith encounter. She made herself untraceable. The talk they had last time flooded his mind. She said to him that there were people inside that wanted to change this city like him. But how? Was she that powerful?

"Mr. Castle…"

"Wh… what?"

"You zoned out"

"Oh… uh… Yeah… ok." Leap of faith. "I will take you to my home, Ms. Beckett."

"Please… call me Kate," and the perfect smile was there again. Damn. He was so whipped.

"Call me Rick then. So… follow me." He started walking and a nice silence set between them.

They walked through the S street, where women and androids would give you the time of your life. They were more expensive than trip-drugs so everybody knew that the people who came here were the ones that despised the ground.

At the end of the street, Castle turned right into an alley and followed until the end where a door was set.

"Wow… you live in the S street?"

"They are the people that hate me less. Their credits come from the sky so…"

"Because of the things you write for Technofuture journal."

"Exactly. Let's go" he opened the door and went through the stairs until the 2nd floor. 3 doors after, at his right, he unlocked the metal door with his card and announced his arrival.

"Pumpkin, I am home!" while he let the detective enter. The place was comfy, a hallway in the right, kitchen on the left. A big screen in the opposite wall of the door and a shelf in the right with a lot of books.

"Hey dad, welc...oh...you have company!" the beautiful redhead stood beside Castle and looked puzzled.

"Lex, this is detective Kate Beckett. Kate this is my daughter Alexis."

"Hello Alexis," Kate could see the suspicious look. Then Alexis took a defensive position, crossing her arms over her chest, the light from the ceiling reflecting on her metal prosthetic arm.

"A cop? Is something wrong dad? And why she doesn't have her symbol?"

"Don't worry Alexis, she is here to…. ok…. I actually don't know what do you want Kate…"

"Really dad? You bring her here and have no idea why?" Alexis turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"We… we met in the Zion bar and-"

"Wait a minute…. is she the woman you been talking about for weeks?"

"Really Castle? Stalking much?" She knew that. That's how she discovered the guy was Richard Castle and it was like fate decided to give a hand.

"I… uh…."

"Alexis," Kate looked serious in the young direction "I know your dad is Richard Castle," the shocking in her eyes would be funny if the subject wasn't important "I… like his work. And I was looking for him for a long time now…"

"Wait… what?" now it was his time to get shocked. What a twist.

"You are a hard man to find, Rick. You know how to hide. Some people believe you don't even exist. That your books are written by a group of people because no one ever went and said 'I know Richard Castle.'"

"O… k… and why were you after me if not to arrest me?" He suddenly remembered his manners and pointed to the couch while he seated in a chair on the left. Kate took her place and a deep breath.

"As I said the last time we met...you are not the only one that want to change this city. I am part of a group that want to do the right thing. We want to take the power from the corps and give it to someone that will not be influenced by them. And we want your help, Rick. We've been looking for you because you can influence the ground with your words and put fear in the sky."

The way she talked made Castle fall more in love for her. How could he feel this way in such short notice? She was like him. She wanted to change this. She was a cop but she wanted to save this city. But this was a hard task.

"But you are just a cop… I mean…. no offense."

"None taken, Rick"

"So… I assume you have someone in this group of yours that can take the place of Counselor Bracken…. who?"

She took a moment to answer. Let the pause take his breath.

"Bob"


	3. Chapter 3

Soooo, the 3rd chapter is her! Hope you enjoy! I will try to post the next one on monday =]

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Alexis was the first to get back from the shock.

"You are saying… Bob, like, the previous counselor?"

"Yes."

"The one that died 10 years ago in a terrorist attack?"

"Well… as you can see he is not dead." Kate was still waiting for Castle to say something. It seemed he was trapped in past memories.

"But… we were there. We saw the explos-" wait, what?

"Why were you two there?" She needed Castle back to the present. "Rick?"

"Uh…. oh. It was a charity party. It was a good place to get credits working as a waiter. Alexis was 8 and I didn't have anyone to stay with her so she went with me."

Something clicked in the detective mind. She looked to the prosthetic arm and then to Castle's face. He was trying to hide but he still had guilt inside him. He thought it was his fault.

"Your arm." Kate pointed with her chin.

"Yes. Dad went to the bathroom and asked me to stay behind the bar table so I wouldn't get lost. Next thing everything was on fire. I didn't know what to do and I wanted my dad. So I went to run there when a piece of the ceiling fell on top of me. My arm got crushed. Passed out with the pain. When I woke up I was in the hospital." Alexis was curled up in her dad's side, the pain visible in both their faces.

Kate wanted to say she was sorry but knew it wasn't what they wanted to hear.

"I got stuck in the bathroom," Castle kissed the top of her daughter's head, "got a good part of my body burnt. It was a horrible day, Detective. We survived because we were far from the explosion epicenter. Now I want to know how the counselor survived."

"Bob knew that something was going to happen. This group I am part of, we exist before Bracken assumed the counselor chair. Bob didn't want to give into the corps pressure, so they wanted to take him down. We didn't know how to stop the attack and we couldn't tell anyone because we would get killed. So we did the only thing we could…."

"You faked his death." wow. This was better than his books.

"Yes. The corps used a ground group to take the blame. Some of them were part of our group. We took ten years to gather all the evidence. To take down everyone that we need to. And now we will start to move. And we need your help, Rick."

They wanted his help. He could take down the people who hurt his daughter. Who hurt him. Finally he could do something beside write and give hope to the ground people. They read his book because the hero always won, and now, they could win in the real life.

"I want to help too," Alexis talked first.

"I am sorry Alexis, but it could be dangerous. It could go all wrong"

"Do you know Fire Ghost?" Castle got up and went to the kitchen. "And do you want something to drink?"

"Uh… water please. And are you talking about the famous hacker?"

"How do you think nobody found me Detective? And… since we are in the subject. How did you find I was Castle?" He sat again and offered the glass of water.

"One day I will tell you," ok, his pouting was adorable and Kate decided it was fun to tease him. She turned to Alexis, "so you are Fire Ghost. I still don't like it but to have you in our team would be amazing. We actually had to cut our communications using the net for fear of stalking cops. Do you think you can hide our talk?"

"Of course. I created an anonymous network that uses old cables and radio towers that are not monitored by the cops. I can supply the devices to access the network, just tell me how many people will use it."

"Great. And you, Rick. I will need you to write something to get their attention. They need to think that something is gonna happen and it will begin here in the ground."

"Of course. I already have some ideas." She didn't have to know that she was the inspiration right? "But I need time. Probably in one month I can give you a draft and you can see if it will get their attention?"

"Sure. Let's meet in one month?" Something flickered in his eyes. Was it…. disappointment?

"Yeah…. one month is good." It was horrible, he wanted to see her everyday. But it would seem creepy to ask that. They didn't know each other. But he hoped they would.

"Ok. Then I will set up a meeting so you two can see the others." Kate got up and headed to the door. "Be safe and I will see you in 30 days, Zion Bar." Not giving time for answers, Kate Beckett vanished.

Castle and Alexis looked at each other. Thoughts of doubt, hope, fear… was it this easy? A sudden encounter just put both within a group that wanted to take down counselor Bracken and diminish corps power over the government. Too good to be true but probably their only hope.

"Do you trust her?" Alexis was still looking at the door.

"I don't know why, but yes. She could have arrested me. She hid her tattoo and let her tracking device at home. It's the first time I see a cop hiding from the other cops."

"But it would be good to be sure right?"

"Yes. Go on and see what you can find about her. If something happens at least we will have some cards up our sleeves. Meanwhile I will write."

Castle stood up and went to his office. Time to write something. If the attention of the corps and cops needed to be in the ground, it meant that a lot of people from this group were in high places. People with money. He didn't know if they were trustworthy but something made him trust her. And he would do this for her.


End file.
